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Headquarters, Stargate Command
='HEADQUARTERS, STARGATE COMMAND'= Stargate Command (abbreviated to SGC) is a top-secret United States Air Force military organization tasked with operating the Stargate device and all matters pertaining to things offworld, such as threats to Earth or missions to procure new technology from extraterrestrial civilizations. It is based inside the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado, codenamed "Area 52". The SGC base acts as the secure ground station for all Stargate activities. It is typically commanded by a Major General (O-8) and is staffed by subject matter experts and military support personnel, several elite special operations teams, and several SG Teams, including SG-1. 'Overview' The SGC is located one thousand meters beneath Cheyenne Mountain. This protects it from most forms of attack, including indirect nuclear detonations, and allows containment of biological or chemical hazards generated by Gate travel (the base may be 'locked down'). However, it was shown in an alternate reality to be unable to withstand a direct Goa'uld attack. The primary function of the base is to secure the Stargate (by locking it under 1000 meters of rock inside a secure military base) and protect the Earth. Simultaneously, it exists to coordinate exploration and diplomatic relationships through the Stargate; i.e. it is the core of the Stargate program, the mission of which is to procure technology that can defend Earth, and make offworld allies. The SGC serves as one location for researching alien technology with larger or longer term research projects being conducted at Area 51 off-site in Nevada. On more than one occasion, SGC personnel have had to recapture alien technology that has escaped into the outside world. Many cover stories have been generated to keep the general populace, even high-ranking government officials, unaware of the goings-on within the SGC. 'History of the SGC' The Alpha Gate, originally found in 1928 in Giza, Egypt, was stored in various locations by the United States Air Force, including Washington D.C., before it was installed in the Cheyenne Mountain facility. While the Stargate had been previously studied (most notably in World War II as a potential weapon), no one was able to make it reliably function until Egyptologist and Archaeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson was introduced to Project Giza, predecessor to the SGC in the mid 1990s. Jackson intuited the strange symbols around the perimeter of the Stargate device were actually representations of Constellations rather than Hieroglyphs, and the device could 'dial' another Stargate by 'locking' seven (or, much later, up to eight or even nine) of its chevrons onto these symbols, like a combination lock. This 'dialing' activates a wormhole between the dialer's Stargate and one of thousands of other Stargates across the cosmos, allowing for near-instantaneous travel to other planets. Subsequently, Major General W. O. West ordered USAF Colonel Jack O'Neill and a team of military personnel accompanied by Daniel Jackson through the Stargate from the Cheyenne Mountain Facility to Abydos, where they encountered Ra. Ra was a Goa'uld, an alien race that uses Stargates to transport slaves and goods throughout the galaxy. The Stargate and any related programs remained dormant until 1997, when the Goa'uld Apophis dialed the Earth Stargate and kidnapped Senior Airman Carol Weterings, as well as killing four male personnel who were playing poker near it. When it was confirmed that Apophis had not arrived via the Abydos Stargate but instead a planet called Chulak, it was realized that the Stargate was capable of connecting with multiple destinations. O'Neill, since retired, was recalled to active duty and assigned to head the rescue mission where he convinced Teal'c, Apophis' First Prime, to defect from the service of the Goa'uld. Realizing the Goa'uld threat, Stargate Command (SGC) was formed with a contingent of SG teams, of which the primary team, SG-1, consisted of Colonel Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Captain Samantha Carter and Teal'c. Their standing orders, along with the SGC, were to acquire weapons or technology that could help Earth in the fight against the Goa'uld, including establishing alliances. From that point forward, the SGC began exploring hundreds of worlds using an ancient Goa'uld map found on Abydos, in conjunction with calculations to account for galactic drift since the map was made. After encountering a few advanced races, they also began researching and developing many alien-human hybrid devices, such as fighter-jets capable of spaceflight, and Earth-designed battlecruisers. About a year and a half after the first activation of the Stargate and the mission to Abydos (about half a year after the creation of the SGC and the SG teams), a second Stargate — the Beta Gate — was found on Earth, in Antarctica. This Stargate was sealed until after the original Giza gate had crashed into the Pacific Ocean aboard the Asgard vessel Biliskner. Russia, performing deep-sea research in the area, discovered the Alpha Gate and began using it in conjunction with the Dial Home Device they had captured from Germany after World War II. Eventually, the Antarctic gate was destroyed by a device controlled by Anubis, and the Giza gate was returned to the United States from Russia for rent and an agreement to share plans for the F-302 fighter-interceptor and BC-303 interstellar battlecruiser (by this point, however, the DHD was destroyed rescuing Teal'c.) This agreement also called for the formation of a Russian SG team at the SGC. Renewal of this agreement led to Russia acquiring a ''Daedalus'' class battlecruiser, the Korolev. 'SGC Facilities And Technology' 'Levels' The SGC extends many levels beneath the ground, officially called sub-levels. At level 27 is the Briefing Room and the Commander's office. The Embarkation room with the Stargate is at level 28. The Gate is dialed from the Stargate Operations room above using the dialing computer, from where Commanders are also able to use a microphone to give orders. There is a long ramp in the middle of the Gateroom leading up to the Stargate, allowing vehicles (such as the MALP robot probe) to enter the Stargate, as well as easier access by persons. (Most other Stargates are partially in the ground, waiving their need for a ramp) As a relic of the days when the complex was a missile silo, the ceiling opens and the Stargate may be lifted in and out of the Embarkation Room; this also allows Gateships to access the room. 'Iris' Hostile aliens such as the Goa'uld are usually prevented from entering the SGC through the Stargate by use of 'the iris'. This is a device that creates a barrier a few micrometers in front of the event horizon of the Stargate, keeping any matter from fully rematerializing, thus preventing the passage of dangerous objects and/or entities. The iris also prevents the formation of the unstable vortex usually seen when the wormhole is first established. It can be opened for the return of an SG team, but is closed if there is an alien attack. The Iris is made up of a Trinium-Titanium alloy, having replaced the original Titanium iris. In the event that either the Iris is penetrated or must be kept open because an SG team is returning under enemy fire, standard procedure dictates that a heavily armed defense team must be present, with their weapons ready, in order to provide defense in case of hostiles coming through the Stargate. Unknown to all but a handful of personnel, the SGC installed an energy shield as a secret back-up Iris, in 2078. 'Self-Destruct' If the SGC is threatened with invasion, the facility has a self-destruct mechanism, which has been activated more than once. It requires at least two high-ranking officers to initiate or deactivate (although the computer system may be manipulated so as to avoid this requirement.). Alien takeover of the SGC is referred to as a "Foothold situation". However, according to Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, the self-destruct is not powerful enough to destroy the Stargate, and has only a minimal chance of disconnecting an active wormhole. It would however bury the gate under 1000 meters of rock, thereby stopping any more incoming travelers. Even with these shortcomings, it remains the best backup plan available in the event of a hostile alien takeover of the SGC. 'Alternative Sites' *Able Site *Baker Site *Charlie Site 'See Also' *Homeworld Command *International Oversight Authority 'Subordinate Units Under Direct Control' <<<< BACK